SOUTHFIELD – When Trevor Sullivan started feeling ill, his parents figured they knew just what to do. After all, with four children in the family, including 14-year-old Trevor, the Southfield family has had experience in dealing with childhood illnesses.

"He had a chest cold," Trevor's dad, Phil, said of the Berkshire Middle School eighth grade student. The cold began before school resumed after the holidays, and Phil and wife Kim began treating Trevor with Mucinex, Benadryl and a breathing treatment they had.

Soon, they took him to a family doctor for treatment, but by the end of January, the 193-pound youngster who loves football "all of a sudden...weighed 207 pounds. He gained 12 pounds and was bloated in his stomach and he was doubling over."

Then there was the trip to Beaumont, where Trevor had a CAT scan, and things got really scary.

Trevor's mother was with him at Beaumont and the results of the CAT scan were "not good," Phil Sullivan said.

The results

With the CAT scan over, there suddenly were "six heart doctors standing in front of (Kim)." Trevor needed to be treated at University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor – and he was air lifted there by helicopter.

"Kim and I get in a car and drive there," he said.

"What kind of ... parents are we?" he asked Friday of no one in particular, alternating between anxiety and optimism.

"It's been a whirlwind," he said.

Turns out that the infection affected Trevor's heart, including the heart rate and rhythmn, Phil Sullivan said. Trevor was placed on medication, and Friday he was transferred to the intensive care unit for observation.

If the medication works, Trevor will then be able to have his heart valve replaced.

"It's touch and go," he admitted.

Eventually, Trevor could need a heart replacement. And all of that – the 45-mile one way trip to Ann Arbor, the meals, finding people to help with and buy groceries for the other children, not to mention insurance deductibles and co-pays – well, it adds up.

Getting involved

So Trevor's co-worker of 13 years at Premia Relocation Mortgage in Troy decided to get involved.

"Our company is a tight knit group so just want to do everything I can to help them," said Kari L. Mattson.

Trevor Sullivan, a Berksshire Middle School student and Southfield resident, was about to join in Hoops for Heart when it was discovered that he may need one.(Photo: Submitted)

Ironically, Trevor himself had planned to be part of a fund raising event at his school called Hoops for Hearts.

"Last week he was raising money for Hoops for Heart to raise awareness for childhood heart disease, and the next day he was battling it himself," Mattson said.

But Trevor, who is a Boy Scout with a troop at Queen of Martyrs Church, is looking to the future, his dad said. While in the emergency room, Trevor wondered whether he would be able to play football in high school. But Trevor answered his own question and suggested that maybe he could play an ancillary role with the team.

"The kid is smart; he hears things," said his dad.

School support

Trevor's classmates at Berkshire have kept him in mind. Teacher Cheryl Rivera saw to it that he got two T-shirts from the Hoops event, including one signed all of his fellow students, as well as a bag full of cards.

Belonging to a Catholic family, Phil Sullivan said that his son asked to meet with a priest from the Shrine parish in Royal Oak, and did so last Monday.

Trevor is keeping his spirits up, according to Phil Sullivan. And it sounds like the rest of the family is working at that as well.

It seems Trevor got tired of hospital food and wanted to go down to the hospital cafeteria to take advantage of the salad bar.

"It's all the same food," Phil Sullivan admitted. "But I was so proud to put him in a wheel chair and take him."

Trevor's dad paused for a moment before speaking again, perhaps to himself as much as anyone.